Shanghai Diary (Part 4)

In October 1937, the young American sailor Earl Jackson Clanton was in Shanghai on board the USS Augusta, which was keeping a vigil in the port while Chinese and Japanese troops were engulfed in vicious fighting over the fate of the city. Clanton completed a fascinating journal, providing a day-by-day account of the dramatic events, brought to you here courtesy of Clanton’s grandson, Adam Clanton. In this installment, he describes combat involving the Japanese cruiser Izumo, which was present in Shanghai harbor throughout the struggle for the city. The photo above, showing Chinese soldiers during the battle, is also kindly provided by Adam Clanton.

Nov 2, 1937:

Japs advance up river and land landing force on Pootung Point. Hoist Japanese flag. The Japanese establish headquarters & hospital on Pootung Point about 100 yards from Augusta. They have filled it already with dead, wounded, and dying. The Japanese proceed up river in small boats, river boats and picket boats to the Chinese river blockade ½ mile above the Augusta. They (Japanese) commence shelling a building across from the blockade, holding Chinese snipers. We, on the Augusta, can see the shells tearing into the building and demolishing it. We can see the shells striking the water as the Chinese fire back at the Japanese. Just a grandstand seat for this war.

Nov 3, 1937:

The Japs & Chinese are still firing day and night, rifles, machine guns and anti-aircraft up around the blockade. We watch when it gets pretty hot and take cover when it gets too hot and some of the shells begin to burst close to Augie. Watching the firing between the Chinese and Japanese when one anti-aircraft shell probably fired several miles

Japanese cruiser Izumo

back from Pootung burst very close to the Augusta and at the same time we saw others fall into the river upstream and decided it was time to take cover.

While watching the Japanese picket boats firing their machine guns at snipers hidden in buildings and in the river blockade we saw one anti-aircraft shell hit a Japanese picket boat and either kill one or two men and injure one pretty severely, also partially sinking the boat. As soon as possible the picket boat got underway and another one came alongside to buoy it up until they could get back downstream to the Izumo just below us. When they passed we could see the injured men with blood covering them from head to foot and arms about torn off being taken care of as best as their shipmates could until they reached the Izumo. The same day the Japanese caught a Chinese sniper and cut off his head, tied his hands behind his back and threw him into the river as an objective lesson to other snipers or would-be snipers. This would doubtless reach the Chinese soldiers thru the Chinese in the International Settlement who could not help seeing these gruesome Japanese objective lesson made specially for their benefit.

(To be continued)

Categories: War, Witnesses

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